Latest News from Women with Disabilities Australia – 31 August 2017

‘Being in control of our supports and other tales of irony’

In a recent article in the CRU – Community Resource Unit Ltd.publication, CRUcial Times, WWDA President Karin Swift wrote about what being in control of her formal disability supports is like and how this intersects with her professional and personal life.

Drawing on her experiences, Karin outlines some bottom lines that define how she and her partner David engage with their paid support. She encourages readers to consider their own as we collectively move to having more choice and control in our services and supports.

Policy and Submissions

WWDA met with CORE Community Services (Canberra). CORE are conducting a participatory video project on forced and underage marriage. WWDA provided advice and information regarding the issue of forced and underage marriage among women and girls with disability.

The UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the ILO have jointly developed a guide for business on the rights of persons with disabilities – “How business can respect and support the rights of persons with disabilities and benefit from inclusion”. It is available for download at:https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/5381

The guide suggests concrete actions and measures companies can take to implement good practices that are inclusive of persons with disabilities in the workplace, marketplace and in the community – in alignment with relevant UN conventions and frameworks. Examples from companies around the globe are included for illustrative purposes.

The competitive tender process for the trauma specialist counselling component of 1800RESPECT has concluded. 1800RESPECT is the national sexual assault, domestic family violence counselling service.

A new arrangement for delivery of trauma specialist counselling will be introduced – including a panel of not-for-profit sector organisations to be formed. The new service will draw on the expertise of a number of not-for-profit organisations to provide trauma specialist counselling nationally through 1800RESPECT.

WWDA has worked extensively with Medibank Health Solutions and 1800RESPECT over the last year to help them improve outcomes for women and girls with disability experiencing violence, including through an accessibility review of the service and provision of expert advice on the new 1800RESPECT website, to be launched later this year.

Collaboration

WWDA and our Disabled People’s Organisations Australia (DPO Australia) colleagues met via videoconference with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to highlight key aspects of our List of Issues submission. The meeting and submission will assist with informing the review of Australia’s implementation of the CRPD in 2018.

Prior to the meeting, DPO Australia also provided a number of factsheets summarising some of the key issues contained in the extensive submission.

DPO Australia welcomed the Medicare Levy Amendment (National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding) Bill 2017. In collaboration with the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), and the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), DPO Australia released a statement in June calling for parliament to secure funding for the NDIS in the winter parliamentary sitting period. Now that the Bill has been tabled, lobbying to secure passage of the Bill has begun with MPs and Senators. The Bill has been referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Economics. For further information on making a submission, go to the Committee website.

DPO Australia continues to meet with the NDIA to discuss co-design and implementation issues.

Last week DPO Australia attended a Women’s Health Roundtable to inform the development of Labor policy in this area.

Do you write, blog or create media?

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